Sputum container



Nov. 10, 1942. J, F. HIGBEE SPU'IUM CONTAINER Filed Dec. 25, 1940Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNETED STATE SPUTUM CGNTAINER James F. Higher,Miami, F1a.

Application December 23, 1940, Serial No. 371,278

(Cl. l1--258) 3 Claims.

invention relates to improvements in hospital or medical apparatus andparticularly to improvements in liquid drainage apparatus adapted foruse by hospital patients.

The invention may be embodied in sputum collecting or drainage apparatusand by substituting for the sputum receiving nipple a liquid collectingnipple of a different character the apparatus may be employed to drainabscesses, wounds, or the like.

An object is to provide a liquid drainage collector such as a sputumcollector which may be employed by a patient without requiring the userto shift position to employ the apparatus. Many patients in hospitalsexperience difficulty in the expectoration of sputum due to thedifficulty of moving to a position suitable for expectorating. rfinsimproved sputum collector may be employed by the user from any position.The user may employ the device from a prone flat-on-the-back positionwithout any movement of the body or head. By merely changing the liquidcollecting nipple the apparatus may be employed by surgeons to drain awound, abscess, gland or other area oi the body oi a patient.Hereinafter throughout the specification the device is referred to as asputum collector but it is understood that by substituting for the mouthpiece nipple a drainage collector nipple of the type suitable forcollecting liquid drainage elsewhere the device may be employed equallyWell for collection of such other liquid drainage.

My improved sputum collector is provided with a nipple mouth piece andmechanism which assists the user in expectorating sputum. With certaindiseases sputum is expelled with difficulty and clings tenaciously tothe membranes. Use of this machine assists in its expectoration.

The construction embodying the invention is simple. 1t is easy to useand may be connected with a suitable source of power to be alwaysavailable for use and when not in use it is not consuming any power. 1tmay be readily moved from one place to another where desired for use andit is sanitary.

A meritorious feature oi this invention is that my improved sputumcollector is provided with a sputum delivery conduit communicating atone end with the interior of a container and tted at the opposite endwith a nipple mouth piece which is so supported as to be convenientlygrasped by a patient and inserted in the mouth for use. Vacuum producingmeans, which may be in the form of an electrically driven vacuum pump,communicates with the interior of the container and is controlled by aswitch. The arrangement may be such that upon the patient picking up thenipple mouth piece the switch automatically responds to cause the vacuumproducing means to function to create a depression within the containerand throughout the conduit and mouth piece.

A valve may be provided controlling communication through the conduitbetween the mouth piece and container and the switch may be constructedto cooperate with this valve to produce a depression within thecontainer upon the opening ci" the valve. The entire assembly is soconstructed and arranged that only the minimum amount of exertion uponthe part of the patient is required.

Various other objects and meritorious characteristics will appear fromthe following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section oi a device embodying myinvention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the nipple mouth piece,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the nipple mouth pieceshowing a modified form of construction as compared with the structureof Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a Vertical sectional view through the nipple mouth pieceshowing a second modified form of construction, and

Fig. 5 illustrates a liquid collecting nipple of a catheter type.

This invention is so designed as to require a minimum amount of movementupon the part of the patient to use the device. It is mounted upon awheeled support in order that it may be moved conveniently from oneplace to another. The vacuum producing means is driven by an electricmotor which may be plugged into a convenient wall switch.

The construction comprises a portable stand having a platform i0provided with wheels l2 and an upright tubular standard I3. A rod I4 isadjustable vertically within the standard. This rod carries a tray I6.Mounted upon the platform is an electric motor I8 and a vacuum pump 2B.The pump communicates through a conduit 22 with a liquid container whichcomprises a bottom portion 24 and and a cover 26. A gasket 28 isinterposed between the cover and bottom portion to form a tight seal.

The container is supported by a lower bracket 28 and an upper bracket30. The upper bracket has a clamping portion provided with a part 32which engages within a groove in the cover to support the cover. Thelower bracket carries a plate 35i carried by an adjustable screw 35whereby the bottom portion 2t of the container may be raised and loweredwith respect to the cover. The container might be formed of glass or anyother suitable material. Through operation of the screw it is possibleto remove the bottom portion or" the container for discharge of itsconten s.

A liquid conduit 3S communicates at one end with the interior of thecontainer through an apertured boss on the cover as shown in Fig, l.rThe opposite end of the conduit is provided with a nipple ISG, whichmay be sputum collecting nipple as illustrated in Figs. l to 4 or aliquid collecting nipple of the catheter type as in Fig. 5. The conduitis flexible for convenient use. The nipple mouth piece 4G is providedwith a manually operable valve element 42 held by a spring in thenormally closed position. Upon depression of the element 42 against thetension of the spring the cut away portion 45 of the valve clement ispositioned to open the passage way 3 through the mouth piece to theaction of a depression established within the container 2d. The extremenipple portion may be removable as shown for sterilization.

The electric motor may be driven from the power line. It is shown asprovided with a wall plug connection 52. The connection with the motoris controlled by a switch. The switch construction of Fig. l isautomatically responsive to removal of the mouth piece end oi theconduit from its support to close the circuit to start the motor.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a bracket arm 54 pivotally supported at 5Gbelow the tray I5. The outer end is fork shaped so as to receive andsupport the nipple mouth piece. There is a spring 5S tensioned to swingthe bracket arm to close the switch through the contact terminals EB ofthe circuit leads Gi?. The weight of the nipple mouth piece and conduitis such as to overcome the tension of the spring and when the mouthpiece end of the conduit is supported as shown in Fig. 1 upon thebracket arm the switch is open. Upon removal of the conduit from thesupport the spring 55 closes the switch and circuit and energizes themotor to cause the vacuum pump to produce a depression within thecontainer which depression communicates through the conduit 33 with themouth piece In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the valve 2 must bemanually operated to establish a suction at the intake end oi the mouthpiece. The bleed aperture 5S is for the purpose of preventing theestablishment of such a suction as to cause the tongue or lips of theuser to be held to the mouth piece. rIhe suction, however, is such thatsputum is withdrawn from the mouth of the user and through the deliveryconduit 38 into the container.

In Fig. 3 the electric switch control is incorporated to respond as afunction of the control valve. In this construction the control valve G2is manually operable. It has a cut away portion et which uponregistering with the passageway through the mouth piece establishescommunication between the container and the intake end of the mouthpiece. This valve is held normally closed by a spring G5. It carries aswitch element plunger G3 which, upon movement sufficiently to open thevalve, will close the electric circuit through the contact terminal 1D.

In Fig. 4 the nipple is not provided with any control valve. When theelectric circuit is closed and a depression established within thecontainer suction is established in the intake end of the nipple. Theswitch in this construction is incorporated within the nipple mouthpiece. There is a manually depressible switch element l2 held normallyopen by a spring lll which carries a metal strip i8 adapted upondepression of the element l2 counter the tension of the spring to bridgethe gap between the switch terminals 'i6 closing the switch and causingthe motor to drive the pump to create a depression within the container.

In 5 the nipple 15 is a catheter type used widely in medical practice.It is not provided with a control valve. Such nipple might besubstituted for the nipple of Figl l wherein the vacuum is institutedupon removal of the nipple from the switch control support arm.

What I claim is:

l. In apparatus oi the character described, in combination, a liquidcontainer, a liquid delivery conduit communicating with the containerand provided with a liquid collecting nipple, a support for the mouthpiece end of the conduit, mechanism automatically responsive to removalci the conduit from the support to produce a depression within thecontainer, said mechanism responsive to positioning of the conduit uponthe support to terminate said depression.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a liquid container, a vacuumpump communicating with the container, an electric motor coupled withthe pump to drive the pump, an electric switch controlling the motor, aliquid delivery conduit communicating with the container and providedwith a liquid collecting nipple, a support for the nipple end or theconduit controlling the switch mechanism adapted to open the switch uponpositioning or the conduit within the support and adapted to close theswitch upon removal of the conduit from the support.

3. In a liquid discharge collector, in combination, a portable wheeledstand, a liquid sputum container mounted thereon, a vacuum pumpcommunicating with the container and mounted upon the stand, an electricmotor coupled with the pump for driving and mounted on the stand, aliquid delivery conduit communicating with the container and providedwith a liquid collecting nipple, a valve controlling communicationthrough the conduit, a support for the nipple end of the conduit, aswitch controlling the electric motor coupled with the nipple supportand adapted to be held open when the nipple is mounted on the support,said switch adapted to close upon removal of the nipple from thesupport.

JAMES F. HIGBEE.

